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Sariska Wins Oaks and Derby to Sea The Stars - 06-09-09
June 9 - Last week saw the running of two of the most prestigious races in the UK horseracing calendar at Epsom Downs Racecourse, in the form of Friday's Epsom Oaks - which was won by race favorite Sariska - and Saturday's Epsom Derby - which was won by 2000 Guineas victor, Sea The Stars.
Every year the 350,000 pound Epsom Oaks (Gr 1) attracts the best three-year-old fillies from all over Great Britain, and this year was no different. However, going into this year's race, there was one horse who really stood out, and that was Sariska, who is trained by Michael Bell and was ridden by Jamie Spencer.
From the start of the 1m 4f 10y race, Perfect Truth with champion jockey Johnny Murtagh aboard set the pace before being overtaken by fellow Irish runner, Oh Goodness Me. Oh lead the race into Tattenham Corner until Spencer asked Sariska for more, and she responded by finding the lead with two furlongs to go.
Despite dangerous challenges by Midday, who came home in second, and High Heeled, who snatched third place, Sariska held on to cross the line first, to the jubilation of her connections. Said Bell, 'She's always shown us huge potential at home and ever since the day she started working I thought she was a star.'
The promise of this year's 1.2 million pound Epsom Derby (Gr 1) had horseracing fans and punters alike buzzing at Epsom Downs on Saturday, ahead of the great 1m 4f 10y race. As in previous years, the Derby attracted many fine colts and fillies, but perhaps surprisingly, the bulk of them from Ireland in this campaign.
Champion Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien alone had six starters in the prestigious race, but when all was said and done, he didn't need any of them. The reason is that the Epsom crowd was stunned, just as he was no doubt when Sea The Stars, a colt trained by his countryman John Oxx, romped home easily in first place.
With only five races to his name, Sea The Stars is being billed as a racing 'prot?' especially after he won this year's 2000 Guineas an enormous feat in itself. In fact, the last Guineas/Derby double winner was Nashwan in 1989 and before that Nijinsky in 1970, proving that horses like him do not come along often.
Fame And Glory had to settle for second while Masterofthehorse secured a third place. For Oxx, it was a dream come true. 'He's certainly the speediest of the top horses we've had,' he said. 'The way he travels he could win a top six-furlong race. He's got everything: pedigree, confirmation, speed and now stamina.'
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| | 2009/11/20 11:35:17 AM |
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